People often make choices with negative impacts to their health, wealth, and overall well being without realizing it. These are called risk behaviors, and there is a large body of research about techniques to help people make healthier, more positive decisions. Here are ways these techniques can be used to influence people to buy zero energy homes.

The first certified Passive House in Scranton, Pennsylvania, offers more than super energy efficiency. It demonstrates that high-performance homes can be built for the same price as code-built homes.

Imagine a world where a builder can set a precise level of building air tightness, pay one contractor to deliver it, and reach the same performance standard on every home. That world is here... today.

One payoff of a super insulated building envelope is a smaller heating and cooling system. Achieving the payoff requires HVAC contractors to plan and implement the project a bit differently than a typical one.

A report by the Shelton Group shows a gap between how Americans value the environment and their lack of willingness to take action to protect the environment. The good news is that Americans do prefer to purchase environmentally conscious products. Zero energy builders, designers, and realtors can use the insights from this report to more effectively market zero energy homes.

High-performance homes deserve high-performance ventilation. BuildEquinox now offers a second generation ventilation system with an integrated heat pump and sophisticated user-friendly controls.

Making zero energy homes affordable requires a systematic approach that includes solid building science and thoughtful client relations. Learn more about how Imery Group has built a successful business in Georgia.

Third-party certifier, Earth Advantage, has evolved their zero energy home standards to make it easier for builders to include natural gas in their zero energy homes. Here’s what they did.

Green building pioneer, Stephen Aiguier, reflects on how Green Hammer has embraced the highest level of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability by successfully integrating design and construction into a highly refined, unified design build process.

This design/build firm in Portland, Oregon, started with individual zero energy homes. Now they are in the midst of the city’s first zero energy development. With more than half the project under contract, the future looks bright.

Mike and Cindi O’Neil share some lessons from more than 20 years of building high-performance homes. Now the company specializes in zero energy homes. Learn what draws clients to them and how they have made energy efficiency their bread and butter.

Zero-energy homes usually require a wall system with an insulating value of R-30 to R-40, at least in cold, heating-dominated climates. In Part 1 of this series, I suggested that you can’t go wrong with rigid insulation sheathing or with double-stud walls filled with fibrous insulation. While the double-stud approach does have advantages, it also […]